William bowers



(No Model.)

W. BOWERS.

GAS COMPRESSOR.

No. 350,862. Patented Oct. 12, 1886.

NITED STATES PATENT Trice..

VILLIAM BOVERS, OF YEWv YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO SARAH E. BOVERS, OFSAME PLACE.

GAS=COMPRESSOR.

`E3PECIEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,862, datedOctober l2, 1886.

Application filed November 2D, 1885.

To all whom t muy concern..

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Bownus, of New York city, in the county andState of New York, have invented a certain new and 5 useful Improvementin Gas-Compressors, of

which the following isa specification.

I will describe the invention as applied to compress ammonia, inconnection with refrigerating apparatus, and operating on a large IOscale, as in cooling a meat-packing establishment or a brewery.

My improved compressor is a double acting pump, standing upright, havinga puiiip-rod below reciprocated by asteain-enginc or other i5 suitablepower. It will be understood that I take into the pump at each movementot' the piston up or down, iirst, the proper volume of uncompressed gas,and, second, a small quantity of a dense inelastic fluid, which l 2owill call 0il, and which performs important functions. First, it packsthe piston and valves, second, it fills the space remaining at the endof the stroke, which would otherwise contain elastic gas and involveloss; third, it

` absorbs the heat of compression, and, fourth,`

Ait lubricates the rubbing surfaces. This oil is lorced out with thecompressed gas. lt is subsequently separated therel'rom and cooled andreturned. The oil may be introduced in 3o the proper measure by anyordinary or suitable means, in accordance with the best practice.

I make the pumppistou of considerable thickness or depth, and provide itwith two separate packings, with a considerable space between them. Inthis space I provide aroservoir extending around and bathing theinterior of the cylinder on both the up and down strokes. On theupstroke this is not ini- 40 portant, because the piston is then packedby a stratumof oil above the piston; but on the downstroke thisreservoir performs the iinportant function of insuring that oil, and notgas, shall be leaked, it', as usual, some leakage exists between thepiston-packing and the cylinder. The gas received and compressed on theupper side of the piston is delivered through an annular self actingvalve. The

gas which is received and compressed below 5o the piston is delivered upthrough a seltact- Serial No. 183,396. (No model.)

ing valve in the piston, and through a vertical tube which ispractically an upward extension ofthe piston and reciprocatcs therewith.Thistube plays through the annular valve at theuppercndofthe pump.Asu'llicientlyhigh 55 easing or dome is mounted over the cylinder toallow the play of the reciprocating tube. The oil in traversing throughthe piston supplies the annular reservoir. The arrangement insures thatthis is lilled with oil ateach down- 6o ward stroke, the surplus beingdelivered upward through the pistou and its tubular extension. I providefor reducing the shock due to the movement ot' the annular valve. Iarrange the passage to allow the oil to be re- (5 eeivcd at eachdowustroke and to flow liberally into the annular reservoir carried inthe piston, while theair or gas which it displaces` is provided with away ot' escape unresisteil by the incoming oil. 7. rlheaccompanyingdrawings form a partei' this specification, and representwhat Il consider the best means ol' carrying out the iii- Vciitioii.

Figure l is a central vertical section on the angular line ir in iiiliig. 2. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line wir in Fig. l. Thesefigures show the novel parts. Fig. 3 is a side elevation on asinullscale, showingtheconnections for operating the compressor.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspending parts in all theligures where they occur.

A is the fixed portion of the apparatus, additional marks, as AA", beinguscd,when nec- S5 essary, to distinguish specific portions thereof.

A is the upright cylinder, A, a top plate or upper head, having aliberal central opening.

A is a top casing; A", a lateral nozzle thereof, A, a tall dome, andA ahollowbossheld 9o in the central position by vertical webs Al.

B is the lower induction-valve, and C the upper induction-valve,performing their ordinary functions of admitting the gas alteriiately atthe top and bottoni ot' the cylinder 95 as the piston reeiprocates.

I) is an annular valve serving to deliver the gas which is compressed onthe upper side of the piston. A deep rim, D, extending up from itsperiphery applies against the correspondroo ing surfaces on the webs AT,serving to guide it. Aflange at the bottom of the boss A6 serves as astop to limitits lift.

Eis thepiston,certain portions of which will be designated, whennecessary, by additional marks, as E E2. The piston is made in threeparts, E E2 E3, secured together by bolts and nuts E", to facilitate theproduction of smooth passages, 'for purposes which will presentlyappear. A tubular attachment, E5, on the upper side, in line with theaxis, plays through the valve D and through the boss AG as the pistonreciprocates. An enlargement, E, at the conneetion'of this ytube withthe piston serves as a chamber or cage for a self-acting valve,G,openingupward, and guided by wings Gand stem G2, in the obvious manner. Thereis a cross-bar, El, which is cast in or otherwise inserted'in theenlargement E, It serves to guide and limit the rise of the valve G, sothat the latter is certain to sink instantly to its seat ou thetermination of the downstroke of the piston. The pump-rod H. playsthrough a stuffing-box in the bottom. It is'actuated by a steam-engineor other suitable means, (not shown,) with a motion somewhat in excessof that required for the piston. It is connected loosely to the pistonby a stout nicely-finished head, H, inclosed within a correspondingchamber, e, in the piston, with liberty to play up and down therein to alimited extent. When this rod H moves upward, the head H fits tightlyagainst the upper surface of the chamber e. The piston and rod movetogether during all the later portion of the upstroke, constituting atight piston. portion of the downstroke the piston will be retarded, andthe pistonrod will move down ward farther to the extent allowed by thehead H. In this condition the space above the head serves, in connectionwith other passages, to allow the gas and oil to move upward through thepiston. The passagesV are peculiarly arranged. I provide a considerabledeep V channel, m, extending around the exterior of the piston near themid-height. This, in connection with the adjacent surface of thecylinder A, forms an annular reservoir, m, which it is desired to keepsupplied with oil, so that when, by the descent of the piston and thecompression of the gas below, there is a tendency of the gas to leakupward between the piston-packing and the cylinder, such leakage will beoil instead of gas. The replenishing of this hollow ring or annularreservoir m is effected at each descent of the piston into the oil inthe bottom of the cylinder. Channels e extend from the bottom of thepiston up to the periphery of the chamber c. There are correspondingchannels, m', which lead further upward and outward and downward, asshown in Fig. 1, and communicate with the hollow ring m, and form themeans for supplying the oil at every stroke. I provide for theeasyescape of the gas,which in the interim fills the ring m and itsconnected passages, by making passages m2 adjacent tothe passages m',but

During the later Atight as possible.

not exposed to the force of thejets of oil from e'. At each descent ofthe piston into the oil which has been previously allowed toaccumulatein the bottom of the cylinder the oil is, by the downwardpressure of the piston, projeeted upward through the passages e. The

jets of oil move by their momentum past the 'I chamber e, and aredeflected outward through the passages m. The oil is thus thrown inliberal quantities into the hollow ring m, and lls it,while the gaswhich previously occupied the space flows inward through the passagesm2, and thus reaches the chamber c and escapes up through the valve G.There is a packing, I, fitted in the periphery around the upper portion,E, of thepiston. There is a packing, J, fitted in the periphery ofthelower portion, E3. These packings perform their usual functions,aided by the oil. On the downstroke a portion of the oil supplied to theannular reservoir m bathes theinterior of the cylinder and remainsthere, followed by the close-fitting packing I, which it aids to makeeffectual. The two constitute acomplete stop to the leak age of gasupward pa-st the piston during the downstroke, which is the only periodwhen the gas tends to so leak'. -On the up- `stroke, besides the oilcarried on the top of the piston, the oil in m .bathes the cylinder,

and a part remains and is followedby the lower packing, J, which it aidsto make tight. Thus the oil in the space m, in combination with the twopackings I and J, makes the pistontight in moving in both directions.Suitable pipes (not represented) admit thin gas through the valves B andG. The cool oil is injected by pumps or other means. (Not represented.)1t is received through separate ori- Iiees. A suitable pipe is alsoprovided to conduct away thegas and the hot oil from the nozzle A4.lSuit-able connect-ions 4are made to a steam-engine to reciprocate thepump-rod H. The movement of the' piston-rod up and downwithin the pistonperforms an important function. Its descent providesthe ample passagerequired for the movement of the gas* and oil inward through the top ofthe chamber e during the descent of the piston. So soon as the pistonhas reached its lowest point and commences to ascend, there is no longerany requirement for this passage. On the con trary, it is desirable tomake the piston as The valve G alone might attain this.` The iirmcontact and tight fit of the upper face of H with thc surface at the topof the chamber e serves as an additional sateguard'. Either alone wouldmake the piston tight. Both togetherl give double surety on this point.

The action i-n the lower part ofthe compressor is as follows:` When therod H with its head H rises, the valve Gshuts and the piston rises,drawing in the gas through the valve B. The oil is admitted at theproper time by any or-l dinary or suitable means. NVhen the pistonrod His drawn forcibly downward, the piston compresses the gas below it untilit reaches IOO irov

the required tension, when it will lift the valve G and commence to bedelivered. The gas will move upward'through the channels e', inwardthrough the space in the upper portion of the chamber e, provided by thesinking of the'hcad H, and upward past the valve G, to mingle with thepreviously-compressed gas in the tube flland the connected dome A andits attaehnunts. This action will continue until near theterinination ofthe downstroke. Then, all the gas having been delivered, the oil lyingin the bottom of the cylinder A will be struck by the piston and thrownup through the same passages. In making this enovement the oil will, byits momentum, be projected upward through the narrow passages c into thepassages 1n', and thence be led outward through the path representedinto the reservoir m. So soon as the oil has filled these spaces, theremainder of the oil will, like the gas which has preceded itmove inwardthrough the top of the chamber e, and upward past the valve (l into thetube E, partially or entirely filling it. ll" there is a large excess ofoil, some will flow over the top of the tube. The action on the upperside of the piston will more closely approximate that of thc ordinaryupright gas compressor. On the descent of the piston the thin gas willenter through the valve @followed by oil to form a stratum lying on thepiston. On the rise of the piston the thin gas will be compressed untilit attains the proper tension,when it will lift the annular valve D andbe delivered past it to mingle with the previously-compressed gas in thechamber around and above this valve. During the last part of the upwardmotion the oil will be similarly delivered, contributing io pack thevalve D. The rim D around the valve D should be nicely finished on itsinterior to match the corresponding inner edges of thel webs AT and forma smooth guide. This rim should be of so moderate height that oil willflow inward over it at earch stroke and lie in its interior to pack thetube My improved mechanism is simple. rlhe complexity in theconstruction of the piston involves merely additional labor in coring orotherwise producing and smoothly finishing the required passages. Theworking parts are very simple. The oil carried on the upper surl'gu-eofthe piston is efficient as a packing to keep the gas from moving downpast the piston on the upstroke. The liberalsupply of oil carried inv myring` m affords an equally complete packing of oil to prevent the gasfrom moving upward past the piston when the latter is on the downstrokc.This is an important end to be attained. It is important to renew thesupply of oil at short intervals. My passages as arranged insure thatthis ring and its connected passages are iilled at each descent ol' thepiston to its lowest position. By my invention at each dcscent of thepiston a quantity of oil always just sufficient to fill the passagestaken up from below and conditioned to fill the annular reservoir m andit results from the arrange ment that as the pressure below the pistonincreases during the descent ol' the piston, pressure is transmittedthrough the passages e ym, and is felt by the oil in the reservoir m,forcing it outward, so that whatever may be the pressure of the gasendeavoring to flow upward past thc piston, it will be balanced by thepressure on the oil, forcing the oil ouiward. The oil is certain to staythere,and to act,in combination with the packing above,to make thepiston absolutely tight during the descending motion. There is lesspressure on the oil on the ascending' motion; but my invention is ot'less consequence in that motion, because there will always be oilstanding above the piston, which will pack the piston during thatmotion.

Modifications may be made in the forms and proportions within widelimits without de parting from the principle or sacrificing theadvantages ofthe invention. The parts of the piston may be securedtogether by bolts or other means, differently arranged. The piston maybe made in a less number of parts. There may be a greater or less numberof the passages m c'. The bottom of the piston may be differentlyshaped. The bottom ofthe cylinder may be correspondingly shaped or not.It will be understood that the bottom space, whatever it may be. is ofno effect on the action, because it is always filled with oil. The uppersurface of the head H being spheroidal, and the adjacent surface of thechamber e be-A ing similarly shaped and both smoothly iinished, thepiston may rock slightly or the pistoured be a little out of linewithout involving leakage. This feature may be varied. Simply plane orconical surfaces will serve, but not as well.

Parts of the invention maybe used without the whole. The sameconstruction and arrangement of the passages to supply oil tothe annularreservoir m may be used with a single acting compressor. Instead ofseparate passages m, I can attain substantially the same effect bymaking these passages in one with the passage nl. In such case the oilthrown up from thc passages c' will niovc outward through the passagesin', but will occupy only half or threefourths of the width ofthelatter7 leaving a portion of the passage ynl to serve as a vent forthe escape of the gas. I prefer the construction and proportions exactlyas shown.

I do not claim, separately, a piston-rod having a head allowed to movein a piston, nor a tubularl extension for delivering below the pistonthrough the top of the cylinder; neither do I claim an oil-chamberbetween packings independent of thc mode of supplying it, or the modedescribed of supplying an oil-chamber by taking up oil at each descentof the piston, irrespective of its application to a double-actingcompressor. I claim as my inventionl. In a double-acting gascompressorhavA IOO IIO

ing au upright eylinder, A', and a piston, E, having two paokings, I andJ, and an annular oil-reservoir, m, between them, the passages e' m,arranged as shown, so as to take in oil from a reservoir below at eachdescent of the piston, and thereby supply the reservoir in, as herein.specified. y

2. In such gas-compressor, the piston E, having the passa'ges f/r11/'m2, arranged'as shown `relatively to each other and to the annularreservoir m and discharge-chamber c, so as to afford a clear space forthe escape of gas through the passages m2, while the Oil is receivedthrough the passages o "mf, all substantially as and for Vthe purposesherein specified. gas compressor de- 3. The double-acting 'WILLIAMBOWERS.

NVitiiesses:y .a

CHARLES, R. SEARLE, s

MAnRiENE ELUsoN.

